Paganism, or more specifically the modern neo-paganism, is a religious and philosophical path which has increased in popularity in recent years. Young people, disillusioned with their dogmatic, overly imposing, household religions, often attempt to return to a naturalistic spirituality which they see as ancestral.

This topic is one which I have less of a passing interest in, it is more of a serious connection. Though I was raised in a Christian household, and I generally discuss my thoughts on this blog in semi-christian terms, I feel most connection to the pagan faith. It was the first time that I had thought about spirituality or religion in any serious way. I developed much of the basis for the eclectic philosophical religion I have today in my days as a solitarily practicing pagan. I found pantheism, I learned to question established religious thought, and although I became more and more deistic, I feel that, in a way, I grew “closer to God” in the process.

What I hope this very brief summary of my experience with neo-paganism can pass on is that it is okay to think outside the box in terms of religion. Even though most people reading this most likely hold firm beliefs, I hope that you can perhaps think of this when teaching your children or friends about faith. It is an all too common problem for the developing mind of a teenager to be thrown into depression because of stifled free-thought. In closing, I would simply like to say that dogma isn’t just peddled by churches, it is the chief commodity of parents as well.